Music is Love in Search of a Word

"Music is Love in search of a word" - Sidney Lanier

Music is the background of your life, ever present. It has such meaning and evokes strong emotion. Music is around us no matter where we are or what we do they end up being the soundtrack to your life.

I remember in primary school they used to sound the bell and then play music as we all lined up in pairs outside our classroom waiting for the teachers to let us in. (Jefferson) Starship was popular when I started school and singing along to “We Built This City” was common while we waited, when my best friend Irene moved back to Tanzania I remember Starship – Sara playing along to my tears.  (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life from Dirty Dancing was played regularly as we waited and many of us used to sing along, although my bet is few of us saw the movie until much later.

My Dad has always loved Rock n Roll and I recall many Saturday nights dancing to Rock songs with him in our kitchen to the Saturday Night Jukebox on the radio. He would pick me up and twirl me around and we would move together so well. Then I would tuck myself in bed with a transistor radio to fall asleep to. Christmas presents from Dad included “The Rock Box” which was a 6 cassette set which I remember absolutely flipping out about. I could never decide just which tape I should have on and I know it was secretly a present for him too.

As I grew up and independence kicked in my music tastes began to expand. On a trip to Queensland for our first ever family holiday I met a girl who introduced me to Metallica with their self titled album. It was also known as the  Black album and I remember a piece of sticky tape being stuck over the holes in the top of an original cassette I obviously wasn’t a fan of and a copy being dubbed tape to tape on her stereo system sitting in a caravan park in Labrador. When I went back to school I thought I was too cool and Metallica evolved quickly to become my favourite band of all time and still is.

There’s the memories of your first CD (Mariah Carey – Music Box) and your first mixed tape. The songs you used to go cruising with friends to and those you cried to when your heart was first broken.

These stories could go on forever.

So at the moment one of my tasks is to finalise music for the wedding.  

My first challenge lay in what type of music we would have for the ceremony. As the ceremony is to be held in a National Park we are not allowed to have amplified music, which cuts out options like playing the iPod through a stereo or basically anything free or cheap.  Quite a bit of searching around and I decided on a String Quartet. A quartet lends a certain elegance and sophistication, it doesn’t require amplification or electricity and not only can they play the classics like Pachelbel’s Canon in D or Schubert’s Ave Maria, they can also play modern music like The Verves Bittersweet Symphony, Metallica’s Nothing Else Matters or perhaps even Queens Bohemian Rhapsody. Yep even songs like this can have a certain air of grace when played by a String Quartet.

My second challenge is in the song choices. The quartet will arrive long before we do, set up and play as our guests arrive, of course they will play the processional, interlude and recessional and then continue to play after the ceremony for a while as we and the guests have some photos and a chat before making our way off for location photos and a break before the reception. The songs I need to decide on are Processional, Interlude and Recessional. These are songs marking such important moments that I need to just take a breath and make a decision and realise that no matter what I choose AFTER I walk down the aisle to it, sign our marriage certificate to it or walk out with my new husband it’s going to have it’s meaning. I have a couple of ideas, but still send me suggestions bloggy people.

The Third is easy! I am sure there is going to be plenty of music played along the way and a massive fun atmosphere with our bridal party, completely casual, upbeat and lots of fun.

The final challenges all lie in the reception. You have so much choice when it comes to music you end up just needing to do what’s right for you and find something that fits within your budget. You can do anything from an iPod with a playlist set up (Or maybe just on shuffle) right through to a DJ or a band. And there are different types of DJ’s and Bands too from the simple through to the extravagant. Our first choice was pretty extravagant. Mr Tdp has seen this band perform a few times and was blown away by them. Quite an appropriate term I assure you as the band is Enormous Horns which is a 10 piece band that sings, dances and provides great comedic entertainment as well. Unfortunately they don’t come cheap. So after careful consideration and a toss up between an iPod playlist which we decided was too stressful and a DJ we have gone the road of a DJ. This gives the opportunity for a professional to read the feeling of the crowd, get everyone up and dancing and also that the music quality is high.

Now to decide on a rough playlist, entry song, first dance, father daughter dance, cake cutting and leaving song. And does anyone have any clue how I convince my groom to practice our first dance?

Send along some suggestions! I have a few ideas, but as so many people who are coming to the wedding read my blog the finals may stay under my hat until after the big day.

Tdp

xox